Loophole offers tax cut to clubs that reinvest gambling revenue into community initiatives, which can include renovations and operating costs
Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast
Poker machines venues in Victoria spent $184m of gambling profits on themselves last financial year, justifying it as a “community benefit” to get a tax cut.
The same clubs only spent $23,000 of gambling losses on harm reduction measures – designed to protect those who funded their venue upgrades – beyond what was required by law.
The figures, contained in the state gaming regulator’s annual report, are the latest example of a legal tax minimisation scheme that has enraged some councils, public health experts, social service groups and anti-gambling advocates.
About Author
More Stories
Labor loses $1bn from Victoria’s upcoming budget surplus in favour of ‘practical’ cost-of-living relief
Trump says he has a ‘little problem’ with Tim Cook over Apple’s India production
Son Heung-min tells South Korean police he is victim of blackmail attempt